Julie Cohen is a one-woman dynamo. She’s not only had 20 books published, both under her own name and pseudonyms, but they’ve sold nearly a million copies and been translated into 15 languages. Dear Thing, her 2014 novel, was a Richard and Judy Book Club choice and her latest, Where Love Lies, is now out in paperback. With a track record like that, Julie clearly knows what she’s talking about so I ...keep reading
If you’re looking for a compelling story set in Ladakh, a remote region north of the Himalayas, then Liz Harris’s debut novel is just the book. The Road Back is the story of Patricia, who accompanies her father to Ladakh in the early Sixties. There she meets Kalden, a man destined to be a monk – but how can their forbidden love survive? Dynamic ex-teacher Liz is a great friend ...keep reading
From universities and libraries to hotels and even prisons, novelists love being asked to be writers-in-residence at venerable institutions. Well-known names like Fay Weldon, Kathy Lette and Michael Morpurgo have all leapt at the chance to do stints as writers-in-residence at London’s historic Savoy Hotel. But crime writer Julia Crouch has gone one better. She’s become the UK’s first writer-in-residence on a train. Rail company East Coast offered Julia the ...keep reading
If you’ve been reading House With No Name for a while, you’ll know that I’m a writing workshop addict. Hearing other writers speak about their work and picking up advice and guidance along the way is one of my favourite pastimes. So yesterday I jumped at the chance to hear five bloggers present a workshop entitled The Path to Getting Published – Bloggers Who Have Done It. The session was ...keep reading
Along with a flying visit home from my daughter and a half-price Frappucino at Starbucks, the best thing to happen this weekend was receiving a Versatile Blogger Award from Rebecca Leith. Rebecca Leith’s Blog is an irresistible mix of interviews, commentaries and reports on everything from the Olympic Torch to Friday 13th. My favourite post of all was the one where her lovely mum, the writer Anita Burgh, interviewed Bex ...keep reading
If you’re a writer in the first stages of your career – or any stage in your career, in fact – then Sarah Duncan’s blog is a must read. The author of five novels (including the highly-praised Kissing Mr Wrong), Sarah is also a creative writing lecturer and the Royal Literary Fund fellow at the University of Bath. I’m a big fan of her blog, which covers everything from characterisation ...keep reading
Nicola Morgan doesn’t mince her words. An ex-teacher and the author of 90 books (ranging from teen novels to non fiction), she’s known as the Crabbit Old Bat for her forthright views. She writes the popular Help! I Need a Publisher! blog and offers such constructive and honest advice that best-selling novelist Joanne Harris has described her as “the tutor I wish I’d had when I was starting out…” So as soon ...keep reading